Mumbai: Leopard walks into trap cage in Aarey Colony; yet to be ascertained if it killed toddler two days back

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A male leopard was trapped in a cage in Mumbai's Aarey Colony on Wednesday, reported PTI. Forest officials told PTI that it was yet to be ascertained if it was the same leopard which killed a toddler in the area two days ago.

A forest official said that after the leopard walked into the cage, it was taken to a rescue centre at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) for further examination and observation.

The official told PTI it was yet to be ascertained if the captured leopard was behind the attack on Monday, the official said.

But since the feline was captured from a strategic location, it could be the same animal, he added.

After the incident on Monday, strategic locations were decided for the installation of trap cages based on the ground information and evaluation of facts, the official told PTI.

Also Read: Mumbai: Leopard attacks man in Aarey colony, MLA slams forest department

A one-and-a-half-year-old girl was attacked and killed by a leopard in a forested area in unit number 15 of Aarey Colony on Monday morning when the child followed her mother who was on way to a temple nearby.

Forest officials and wildlife volunteers later put up cages at strategic locations in and around the site to capture the animal.

Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) founder and president Pawan Sharma, who is also honorary wildlife warden with the state forest department told PTI that as many as 30 wildlife volunteers from Aarey, NGOs, forest department officials and personnel from the SGNP were working together to initiate an action plan to prevent human-wildlife conflict in the area.

The measures included patrolling, installing of cages and camera traps, spreading awareness and alerting the residents of Aarey about dos and don'ts to avoid any further conflict with wild animals, he said.

Aarey Colony is a green belt of Mumbai's western suburb of Goregaon and is located close to the sprawling SGNP.

(With inputs from PTI)